This book describes a variety of quantitative methods that are vital to planning and control in the operations of the industrial world, from suppliers to manufacturing plants to distribution centers and to the dealers and stores. The topics include: forecasting, measuring forecast error, determining the order quantity, safety stock, when and how much inventory to replenish, all this for individual items and for a distribution network where the items are housed in multiple locations.

The Quantum Leap: Next Generation documents the forces shaping today’s demad-driven markets and equips organizations with the knowledge and insight to navigate the transition to Demand Flow Technology (DFT) – a unique combination of innovative management philosophy, revolutionary manufacturing practices, and flexible employees.

The book comprises eleven chapters, 35 tables, 100 figures, 35 application examples and 10 case studies
Target audience of the book are primarily international consultants, staff members of engineering companies, utility personnel, energy economists and lawyers, as well as employees of government agencies entrusted with regulating the energy and utility sector and, finally, students in related fields of engineering and economics.

In most industrialized countries, paper-based communications are in serious decline, while the demand for parcel delivery services is rising steadily with the continuing development of e-commerce, just-in-time production techniques, and global supply chains. For the postal sector as a whole, the centre of gravity has shifted dramatically from letters and documents to parcels.